Wiyanga

Chris Lloyd

The progeny of two long-term conservationists and bird watchers, Chris resisted parental pressure for a quarter of a century before finally picking up the binoculars in 1993. It was down-hill from there as a working life devoted to social justice and equity collapsed under the weight of avian biology, poor fashion choices and perpetually dirty boots.

Chris spent nearly two decades working for trade unions in Australia, Africa and New Zealand doing anything from running strikes against redundancies to international trade negotiations. While not a traditional background for ornithology, it gave Chris a strong economic context to landscape change and a touch of jaundice on the omnipotence of markets. A few years of consulting in developing world economics and vocational training systems allowed the luxury of some post-graduate study into what made these feathered buggers tick and to spend more time on field work.

The diversion of a five year stint as a training officer for Australia's largest wildlife rehabilitation group produced not only a comprehensive training system for 2000 volunteers but also meant Chris got see quite a few interesting species up close and personal. However a stint with the Department of Conservation in New Zealand on their endangered species programs revived the taste for broader environmental issues and the inevitable parting of the ways with WIRES.

As Wiyanga's consultant, Chris handles a range of jobs from specialised training courses in birds to labour market research for government agencies. While Chris is still plugging away at some post-graduate work, he confesses to being less interested in academia and more passionate about conservation and using his training skills to give others the tools to do something about the mess we have made with our obsession for consumption.